“When these people from Europe came to
Canada, they were used to a similar type
of trade unionism. However, they found
themselves in a system in which there is
one union to a workplace based on the
plurality of votes,” Heinen said.
And this caused a stir. Workers wanted to
be represented by a union that reflected
their own ideologies and beliefs about
what work is and what the relationship be-
tween the employer and employee should
be. This rejection of the norm planted the
seeds for the arrival of independent unions
like CLAC.
CLAC is the nation’s largest independent,
multi-sector, national union, with more
“In the last 10 to 15 years, we have been building at least half of the oil sands
construction projects.” David Prentice, Provincial Director (B.C.)
4
business elite canada
H
MARCH 2017
